Nary a year goes by without something going wrong. Some developers simply don’t get it right, new policies screw things up, or companies just do stupid things. While it is inconvenient, it is also wildly entertaining. We kept track of some of the bigger oopsies of 2017 from developers across Google Play as well as Google Play itself in some cases. Thus, here are the biggest flubs, most controversial apps and games, and other bad ideas from the Play Store in 2017!
Accessibility API crackdown
Google decided to crack down on its Accessibility API during the last two months of 2017. The intent was improving security because the Accessibility API is so powerful and far reaching in Android. Unfortunately, that also spelled trouble for some seriously popular apps, including LastPass (and other password managers), Nova Launcher (and other launcher apps), Greenify, and many others. The backlash was fairly intense. Currently, Google is taking a step back to re-evaluate their decision about the Accessibility API. Unfortunately, that means we won't see a resolution to this one until 2018. Hit the button above to learn more!
Bixby Remap apps and Bixby in general
Price: Free
Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 lineup of devices in 2017. They all came with a Bixby button and, of course, trouble ensued. Bixby remapping apps became big news in early and mid 2017 when people noticed that the button could not otherwise be disabled. Samsung eventually allowed people to disable the button entirely, fixing the initial problem. In addition, Bixby itself had its share of issues. Namely, different Galaxy devices having different versions that were capable of different things. Samsung fixed most of these issues by now. However, it was a fairly shaking summer and launch for Bixby and Samsung.
Color by Disney
Price: Free / $33.99 per year
Color by Disney is easily one of the most controversial apps from 2017. It's a coloring book app and it should've been a really good one. However, Disney thought it'd be a good idea to charge a subscription rate for the the content. Basically, you get a few images for free. The rest require a monthly, yearly or weekly subscription charge. We're all about developers making money. However, there is a line that developers should not cross. Color by Disney crossed it. It doesn't help that the free version is extremely restrictive. It's also an app for kids. That doesn't help either. Disney really screwed the pooch with this one and their Google Play rating reflects that.
Google Assistant
Price: Free
Google Assistant had its share of problems in 2017. It officially launched in 2017 to non-Google devices. That is, of course, unless you own a tablet. Then you didn't get squat. Additionally, Google included better versions of Google Assistant on their Google Home devices. It was to the point where the phone version couldn't do basic things like cast video or order a pizza, but the Google Home versions could. Finally, that whole Burger King ad thing was hilarious. Google fixed many of these issues. For instance, Assistant is now available on tablets as of early December. Still, they have a long way to go.
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